Sweet pepper line SBR28-1244

ABSTRACT

The invention provides seed and plants of the pepper line designated SBR28-1244. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of pepper line SBR28-1244, and to methods for producing a pepper plant produced by crossing a plant of pepper line SBR28-1244 with itself or with another pepper plant, such as a plant of another line. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of a plant of pepper line SBR28-1244, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.

This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Appl. Ser. No.61/079,038, filed Jul. 8, 2008, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of plant breeding and, morespecifically, to the development of pepper line SBR28-1244.

2. Background of the Invention

The goal of vegetable breeding is to combine various desirable traits ina single variety/hybrid. Such desirable traits may include greateryield, resistance to insects or pests, tolerance to heat and drought,better agronomic quality, higher nutritional value, growth rate andfruit properties.

Breeding techniques take advantage of a plant's method of pollination.There are two general methods of pollination: a plant self-pollinates ifpollen from one flower is transferred to the same or another flower ofthe same plant or plant variety. A plant cross-pollinates if pollencomes to it from a flower of a different plant variety.

Plants that have been self-pollinated and selected for type over manygenerations become homozygous at almost all gene loci and produce auniform population of true breeding progeny, a homozygous plant. A crossbetween two such homozygous plants of different varieties produces auniform population of hybrid plants that are heterozygous for many geneloci. Conversely, a cross of two plants each heterozygous at a number ofloci produces a population of hybrid plants that differ genetically andare not uniform. The resulting non-uniformity makes performanceunpredictable.

The development of uniform lines requires the development of homozygousinbred plants, the crossing of these inbred plants, and the evaluationof the crosses. Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection are examplesof breeding methods that have been used to develop inbred plants frombreeding populations. Those breeding methods combine the geneticbackgrounds from two or more plants or various other broad-based sourcesinto breeding pools from which new lines are developed by selfing andselection of desired phenotypes. The new lines are evaluated todetermine which of those have commercial potential.

One crop which has been subject to such breeding programs and is ofparticular value is the pepper, which includes bell peppers. C. annuumis a herbaceous annual. The plant has a densely branched stem and growsto 1.5 to 5 feet in height. The fruit is green when unripe, then usuallychanging to red or brown. The species can grow in many climates;however, they thrive in warm and dry climates. Hybrid vigor has beendocumented in peppers, and hybrids are gaining increasing popularityamong farmers throughout the world, especially in countries withplentiful labor (Berke, 1999).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention provides a pepper plant of the linedesignated SBR28-1244. Also provided are pepper plants having all thephysiological and morphological characteristics of the pepper linedesignated SBR28-1244. Parts of the pepper plant of the presentinvention are also provided, for example, including pollen, an ovule,scion, a rootstock, a fruit, and a cell of the plant.

The invention also concerns the seed of pepper line SBR28-1244. Thepepper seeds of the invention may be provided as an essentiallyhomogeneous population of pepper seed of the line designated SBR28-1244.Essentially homogeneous populations of seed are generally free fromsubstantial numbers of other seed. Therefore, seed may be defined asforming at least about 97% of the total seed, including at least about98%, 99% or more of the seed. The population of pepper seed may beparticularly defined as being essentially free from hybrid seed. Theseed population may be an essentially homogeneous population of seed ofthe pepper plant designated SBR28-1244.

In another aspect of the invention, a plant of pepper line SBR28-1244comprising an added heritable trait is provided. The heritable trait maycomprise a genetic locus that is, for example, a dominant or recessiveallele. In one embodiment of the invention, a plant of pepper lineSBR28-1244 is defined as comprising a single locus conversion. Inspecific embodiments of the invention, an added genetic locus confersone or more traits such as, for example, herbicide tolerance, insectresistance, disease resistance, and modified carbohydrate metabolism. Infurther embodiments, the trait may be conferred by a naturally occurringgene introduced into the genome of the line by backcrossing, a naturalor induced mutation, or a transgene introduced through genetictransformation techniques into the plant or a progenitor of any previousgeneration thereof. When introduced through transformation, a geneticlocus may comprise one or more genes integrated at a single chromosomallocation.

In another aspect of the invention, a tissue culture of regenerablecells of a pepper plant of line SBR28-1244 is provided. The tissueculture will preferably be capable of regenerating pepper plants capableof expressing all of the physiological and morphological characteristicsof the line, and of regenerating plants having substantially the samegenotype as other plants of the line. Examples of some of thephysiological and morphological characteristics of the line SBR28-1244include those traits set forth in the tables herein. The regenerablecells in such tissue cultures may be derived, for example, from embryos,meristems, cotyledons, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips,pistil, flower, seed and stalks. Still further, the present inventionprovides pepper plants regenerated from a tissue culture of theinvention, the plants having all the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of line SBR28-1244.

In yet another aspect of the invention, processes are provided forproducing pepper seeds, plants and fruit, which processes generallycomprise crossing a first parent pepper plant with a second parentpepper plant, wherein at least one of the first or second parent pepperplants is a plant of the line designated SBR28-1244. These processes maybe further exemplified as processes for preparing hybrid pepper seed orplants, wherein a first pepper plant is crossed with a second pepperplant of a different, distinct line to provide a hybrid that has, as oneof its parents, the pepper plant line SBR28-1244. In these processes,crossing will result in the production of seed. The seed productionoccurs regardless of whether the seed is collected or not.

In one embodiment of the invention, the first step in “crossing”comprises planting seeds of a first and second parent pepper plant,often in proximity so that pollination will occur for example, mediatedby insect vectors. Alternatively, pollen can be transferred manually.Where the plant is self-pollinated, pollination may occur without theneed for direct human intervention other than plant cultivation.

A second step may comprise cultivating or growing the seeds of first andsecond parent pepper plants into plants that bear flowers. A third stepmay comprise preventing self-pollination of the plants, such as byemasculating the male portions of flowers, (i.e., treating ormanipulating the flowers to produce an emasculated parent pepper plant).Self-incompatibility systems may also be used in some hybrid crops forthe same purpose. Self-incompatible plants still shed viable pollen andcan pollinate plants of other varieties but are incapable of pollinatingthemselves or other plants of the same line.

A fourth step for a hybrid cross may comprise cross-pollination betweenthe first and second parent pepper plants. Yet another step comprisesharvesting the seeds from at least one of the parent pepper plants. Theharvested seed can be grown to produce a pepper plant or hybrid pepperplant.

The present invention also provides the pepper seeds and plants producedby a process that comprises crossing a first parent pepper plant with asecond parent pepper plant, wherein at least one of the first or secondparent pepper plants is a plant of the line designated SBR28-1244. Inone embodiment of the invention, pepper seed and plants produced by theprocess are first generation (F₁) hybrid pepper seed and plants producedby crossing a plant in accordance with the invention with another,distinct plant. The present invention further contemplates plant partsof such an F₁ hybrid pepper plant, and methods of use thereof.Therefore, certain exemplary embodiments of the invention provide an F₁hybrid pepper plant and seed thereof.

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method ofproducing a plant derived from line SBR28-1244, the method comprisingthe steps of: (a) preparing a progeny plant derived from lineSBR28-1244, wherein said preparing comprises crossing a plant of theline SBR28-1244 with a second plant; and (b) crossing the progeny plantwith itself or a second plant to produce a seed of a progeny plant of asubsequent generation. In further embodiments, the method mayadditionally comprise: (c) growing a progeny plant of a subsequentgeneration from said seed of a progeny plant of a subsequent generationand crossing the progeny plant of a subsequent generation with itself ora second plant; and repeating the steps for an additional 3-10generations to produce a plant derived from line SBR28-1244. The plantderived from line SBR28-1244 may be an inbred line, and theaforementioned repeated crossing steps may be defined as comprisingsufficient inbreeding to produce the inbred line. In the method, it maybe desirable to select particular plants resulting from step (c) forcontinued crossing according to steps (b) and (c). By selecting plantshaving one or more desirable traits, a plant derived from lineSBR28-1244 is obtained which possesses some of the desirable traits ofthe line as well as potentially other selected traits.

In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method ofproducing peppers comprising: (a) obtaining a plant of pepper lineSBR28-1244, wherein the plant has been cultivated to maturity, and (b)collecting peppers from the plant.

In still yet another aspect of the invention, the genetic complement ofthe pepper plant line designated SBR28-1244 is provided. The phrase“genetic complement” is used to refer to the aggregate of nucleotidesequences, the expression of which sequences defines the phenotype of,in the present case, a pepper plant, or a cell or tissue of that plant.A genetic complement thus represents the genetic makeup of a cell,tissue or plant, and a hybrid genetic complement represents the geneticmake up of a hybrid cell, tissue or plant. The invention thus providespepper plant cells that have a genetic complement in accordance with thepepper plant cells disclosed herein, and plants, seeds and plantscontaining such cells.

Plant genetic complements may be assessed by genetic marker profiles,and by the expression of phenotypic traits that are characteristic ofthe expression of the genetic complement, e.g., isozyme typing profiles.It is understood that line SBR28-1244 could be identified by any of themany well known techniques such as, for example, Simple Sequence LengthPolymorphisms (SSLPs) (Williams et al., 1990), Randomly AmplifiedPolymorphic DNAs (RAPDs), DNA Amplification Fingerprinting (DAF),Sequence Characterized Amplified Regions (SCARs), Arbitrary PrimedPolymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR), Amplified Fragment LengthPolymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858, specifically incorporated herein byreference in its entirety), and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs)(Wang et al., 1998).

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides hybridgenetic complements, as represented by pepper plant cells, tissues,plants, and seeds, formed by the combination of a haploid geneticcomplement of a pepper plant of the invention with a haploid geneticcomplement of a second pepper plant, preferably, another, distinctpepper plant. In another aspect, the present invention provides a pepperplant regenerated from a tissue culture that comprises a hybrid geneticcomplement of this invention.

In still yet another aspect, the invention provides a plant of an inbredpepper line that exhibits a combination of traits comprising a plantwith excellent fruit quality, including a uniform fruit shape and easilycoloring fruit; a plant that has a set of small, blocky fruits that aregreen when immature and red when mature; and a plant which is resistantto PVY pathotype P0. In certain embodiments, the combination of traitsmay be defined as controlled by genetic means for the expression of thecombination of traits found in pepper line SBR28-1244.

In still yet another aspect, the invention provides a method ofdetermining the genotype of a plant of pepper line SBR28-1244 comprisingdetecting in the genome of the plant at least a first polymorphism. Themethod may, in certain embodiments, comprise detecting a plurality ofpolymorphisms in the genome of the plant. The method may furthercomprise storing the results of the step of detecting the plurality ofpolymorphisms on a computer readable medium. The invention furtherprovides a computer readable medium produced by such a method.

Any embodiment discussed herein with respect to one aspect of theinvention applies to other aspects of the invention as well, unlessspecifically noted.

The term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the standarddeviation of error for the device or method being employed to determinethe value. The use of the term “or” in the claims is used to mean“and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only orthe alternatives are mutually exclusive, although the disclosuresupports a definition that refers to only alternatives and to “and/or.”When used in conjunction with the word “comprising” or other openlanguage in the claims, the words “a” and “an” denote “one or more,”unless specifically noted. The terms “comprise,” “have” and “include”are open-ended linking verbs. Any forms or tenses of one or more ofthese verbs, such as “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,”“includes” and “including,” are also open-ended. For example, any methodthat “comprises,” “has” or “includes” one or more steps is not limitedto possessing only those one or more steps and also covers otherunlisted steps. Similarly, any plant that “comprises,” “has” or“includes” one or more traits is not limited to possessing only thoseone or more traits and covers other unlisted traits.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description. It should beunderstood, however, that the detailed description and any specificexamples provided, while indicating specific embodiments of theinvention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changesand modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from this detaileddescription.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides methods and compositions relating to plants,seeds and derivatives of pepper line SBR28-1244. This line showsuniformity and stability within the limits of environmental influencefor the traits described hereinafter. Pepper line SBR28-1244 providessufficient seed yield. By crossing with a distinct second plant, uniformF1 hybrid progeny can be obtained.

Line SBR28-1244 exhibits a number of improved traits including anexcellent fruit quality, including a uniform fruit shape and easilycoloring fruit; a set of small, blocky fruits that are green whenimmature and red when mature; and resistance to PVY pathotype P0. Thedevelopment of the line can be summarized as follows.

A. Origin and Breeding History of Pepper Line SBR28-1244

Sweet pepper line SBR28-1244 is a doubled hybrid line derived from thefemale/seed parent Seminis Honselersdijk lot 972315 and the male/pollenparent Seminis Honselersdijk lot 972343. The derivation of each of theparent lines is described below, as is the breeding of the linedesignated SBR28-1244.

Seminis Honselersdijk Lot 972315:

-   -   Fall, Year 1 (Y1): One plant of the hybrid “Spirit (E 6059)”        from the Dutch Seed Company ENZA was selected; the F1 seeds from        that plant were designated lot 940095. The selected plant was        95S NL 711-3. The F2-seeds were designated lot 951080.    -   Fall, Y2: Lot 951080 was stake # 95F NL 253 at Seminis        Honselersdijk; F2 plant 95F NL 253-1 was selected; F3-seeds from        that plant were designated lot 951610.    -   Spring, Y3: Lot 951610 was stake # 96S NL 192 at Seminis        Honselersdijk; F3 plant 96S NL 192-25 was selected; F4-seeds        from that plant were designated lot 960365.    -   Fall, Y3: Lot 960365 was stake # 96F NL 252 at Seminis        Honselersdijk; F4 plant 96F NL 252-19 was selected; F5-seeds        from that plant were designated lot 961224.    -   Spring, Y4: Lot 961224 was stake # 97S NL 598 at Seminis        Honselersdijk; F5 plant 97S NL 598-13 was selected; F6-seeds        were designated lot 972315.    -   Fall, Y4: Lot 972315 was stake # 97F NL 572.

Seminis Honselersdijk Lot 972343:

-   -   Fall, Y2: F1 “Cardio (DRP 834)” of the Dutch seed company De        Ruiter Seeds was planted as stake # 96S NL 333 in Honselersdijk,        lot 950474 was used; F1 plant 96S NL 333-9 was selected;        F2-seeds from that plant were designated lot 960422.    -   Fall, Y3: Lot 960422 was stake # 96F NL 310 at Seminis        Honselersdijk; F2 plant 96F NL 310-6 was selected; F3-seeds from        that plant were designated lot 961295.    -   Spring, Y4: Lot 961295 was stake # 97S NL 657 at Seminis        Honselersdijk; F3 plant 97S NL 657-25 was selected; F4-seeds        from that plant were designated lot 972343.    -   Fall, Y4: Lot 972343 was stake # 97F NL 585.

SBR28-1244:

-   -   Fall, Y4: Female/Seed Parent # 97F NL 585 crossed to Male/Pollen        Parent # 97F NL 572, the F1-seeds were designated lot 970754.    -   Y5: Lot 970754 was stake # 98S NL 535 at Seminis Honselersdijk;        F1 plant 96S NL 536-6 was selected; F2-seeds from that plant        were designated lot 982305.    -   Fall, Y5: Lot 982305 was stake # 98F NL 972 at Seminis        Honselersdijk; F2 plant 98F NL 972-56 was selected; F3-seeds        from that plant were designated lot 983728.    -   Spring, Y6: Lot 993728 was stake # 99S NL 1239 at Seminis        Honselersdijk; F3 plant 99S NL 1239-15 was selected; F4-seeds        from that plant were designated lot 993072.    -   Fall, Y6: Lot 993072 was stake # 99F NL 542 at Seminis        Honselersdijk; F4 plant 99F NL 542-18 was selected; F5-seeds        from that plant were designated lot 993572. Lot 993572 was        selected as source material for an in vitro doubled haploid (DH)        program and given the DH laboratory code 2000-29.    -   Y7-8: A population of doubled haploid lines based on 2000-29 was        created; the in vitro DH plants were regenerated and seeds from        them were collected.    -   Spring, Y9: The seeds of the DH population based on 2000-29 were        in included in a selection program in Honselersdijk. One of the        selected DH-lines was 2000-29-4, designated 20010051. Lot        20010051 was stake # 02S NL 451; seeds of 5 plants were        harvested and bulked. These DH-seeds were designated lot        20021209.

Lot 20021209 was designated SBR28-1244.

B. Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Pepper LineSBR28-1244

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a plant having the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of pepper line SBR28-1244. A description of thephysiological and morphological characteristics of pepper lineSBR28-1244 is presented in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of LineSBR28-1244 Sweet Pepper Variety CHARACTERISTIC SBR28-1244 1. Species C.annuum 2. Maturity Number of days from transplanting 101 until maturegreen stage Number of days from transplanting 137 until mature red oryellow stage Number of days from direct seeding 144 until mature greenstage Number of days from direct seeding 180 until mature red or yellowstage 3. Plant Habit Semi-spreading Attitude Semi-erect Height 145 cmWidth  55 cm Length of stem from cotyledons to first  35 cm flowerLength of third internode 150 mm Basal branches Few (2-3) Branchflexibility Rigid (Yolo Wonder L.) Stem strength (breakage resistance)Intermediate 4. Leaf Leaf width 160 mm Leaf length 360 mm Petiole length120 mm Mature leaf shape Elliptic Color Light green Color chart name andcode RHS 135B Leaf and stem pubescence Absent (Yolo Wonder L.) Marginundulation Weak Blistering Very weak 5. Flowers Number of flowers perleaf axil  1 Number of calyx lobes  6 Number of petals  6 Flowerdiameter  15 mm Corolla color White Corolla throat markings Other—nomarkings Anther color Yellow Style length Same as stamenSelf-incompatibility Absent 6. Fruit Group Bell (Yolo Wonder L.)Immature fruit color Light green (Cubanella) Color chart name and codeRHS N134B Mature fruit color Red (Yolo Wonder L.) Color chart name andcode RHS 34A Pungency Sweet (Yolo Wonder L.) Capsaicin per gram dryfruit Not tested Scoville units (dry fruit) Not tested Flavor Moderatepepper flavor Fruit glossiness Dull Surface smoothness Smooth (YoloWonder L.) Fruit position Pendent (Jalapeno) Calyx shape Saucer-shaped(Flat, non-enveloping) Calyx diameter  3.2 mm Fruit length  9 mm Fruitdiameter at calyx attachment 7.6 mm Fruit diameter at midpoint  7.5 cmFlesh thickness at midpoint  7.0 mm Average number of fruits per plant 12 % large fruits  30 (Weight range 125 g to 175 g) % medium fruits  60(Weight range 175 g to 225 g) % small fruits  10 (Weight range 225 g to300 g) Average fruit weight 178 g Base shape Cupped (Yolo Wonder L.)Shape of apex Blunt (Yolo Wonder L.) Shape Bell (Yolo Wonder L.) FruitShape, longitudinal section Square Fruit shape, cross sectionQuadrangular Fruit set Scattered Interloculary grooves Medium Percent offruit with 3 locules  25 Percent of fruit with 4 locules  75 Averagenumber of locules  4 Pedicel length  90 mm Pedicel thickness  15 mmPedicel shape Curved Pedicel cavity Absent Depth of pedicel cavity  3 mm7. Seed Seed cavity length  70 mm Seed cavity diameter  60 mm Placentalength  25 mm Number of seeds per fruit 140 Weight of 1000 seeds  7.9 gSeed color Yellow 8. Anthocyanin Seedling hypocotyl Absent Stem WeakNode Weak Leaf Weak Pedicel Absent Calyx Absent Fruit Absent 9. DiseaseResistance Cucumber mosaic virus Most susceptible Curly top virus Mostsusceptible Pepper mottle virus Most susceptible Potato Y virus Mostresistant Tobacco Etch virus Most susceptible Tobacco Mosaic virus Mostsusceptible Anthracnose (Gleosporium piperatum) Most susceptibleBacterial spot (Xanthomonas Most susceptible vesicatoria) Cercosporaleaf spot (Cercospora Most susceptible capsici) Nematode (Meloidogyneincognita Most susceptible acrita) Phytophtora root rot (PhytophthoraMost susceptible capsici) Ripe rot (Vermicularia capsici) Mostsusceptible Southern blight (Sclerotium rolfsii) Most susceptibleVerticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae) Most susceptible *These aretypical values. Values may vary due to environment. Other values thatare substantially equivalent are within the scope of the invention.

Line SBR28-1244 has been self-pollinated and planted for a number ofgenerations to produce the homozygosity and phenotypic stability to makethis line useful in commercial seed production. No variant traits havebeen observed or are expected for this line.

Pepper line SBR28-1244, being substantially homozygous, can bereproduced by planting seeds of the line, growing the resulting pepperplant under self-pollinating or sib-pollinating conditions andharvesting the resulting seeds using techniques familiar to one of skillin the art.

C. Breeding Pepper Line SBR28-1244

One aspect of the current invention concerns methods for crossing thepepper line SBR28-1244 with itself or a second plant and the seeds andplants produced by such methods. These methods can be used forpropagation of line SBR28-1244, or can be used to produce hybrid pepperseeds and the plants grown therefrom. Hybrid seeds are produced bycrossing line SBR28-1244 with second pepper parent line.

The development of new varieties using one or more starting varieties iswell known in the art. In accordance with the invention, novel varietiesmay be created by crossing line SBR28-1244 followed by multiplegenerations of breeding according to such well known methods. Newvarieties may be created by crossing with any second plant. In selectingsuch a second plant to cross for the purpose of developing novel lines,it may be desired to choose those plants which either themselves exhibitone or more selected desirable characteristics or which exhibit thedesired characteristic(s) when in hybrid combination. Once initialcrosses have been made, inbreeding and selection take place to producenew varieties. For development of a uniform line, often five or moregenerations of selfing and selection are involved.

Uniform lines of new varieties may also be developed by way ofdouble-haploids. This technique allows the creation of true breedinglines without the need for multiple generations of selfing andselection. In this manner true breeding lines can be produced in aslittle as one generation. Haploid embryos may be produced frommicrospores, pollen, anther cultures, or ovary cultures. The haploidembryos may then be doubled autonomously, or by chemical treatments(e.g. colchicine treatment). Alternatively, haploid embryos may be growninto haploid plants and treated to induce chromosome doubling. In eithercase, fertile homozygous plants are obtained. In accordance with theinvention, any of such techniques may be used in connection with lineSBR28-1244 and progeny thereof to achieve a homozygous line.

Backcrossing can also be used to improve an inbred plant. Backcrossingtransfers a specific desirable trait from one inbred or non-inbredsource to an inbred that lacks that trait. This can be accomplished, forexample, by first crossing a superior inbred (A) (recurrent parent) to adonor inbred (non-recurrent parent), which carries the appropriate locusor loci for the trait in question. The progeny of this cross are thenmated back to the superior recurrent parent (A) followed by selection inthe resultant progeny for the desired trait to be transferred from thenon-recurrent parent. After five or more backcross generations withselection for the desired trait, the progeny are heterozygous for locicontrolling the characteristic being transferred, but are like thesuperior parent for most or almost all other loci. The last backcrossgeneration would be selfed to give pure breeding progeny for the traitbeing transferred.

The line of the present invention is particularly well suited for thedevelopment of new lines based on the elite nature of the geneticbackground of the line. In selecting a second plant to cross withSBR28-1244 for the purpose of developing novel sweet pepper lines, itwill typically be preferred to choose those plants which eitherthemselves exhibit one or more selected desirable characteristics orwhich exhibit the desired characteristic(s) when in hybrid combination.Examples of desirable traits of sweet peppers include: high seed yield,high seed germination, seedling vigor, early fruit maturity, high fruityield, ease of fruit setting, disease tolerance or resistance, andadaptability for soil and climate conditions. Consumer-driven traits,such as a preference for a given fruit size, shape, color, texture, andtaste, especially non-pungency (low capsaicinoid content), are othertraits that may be incorporated into new lines of sweet pepper plantsdeveloped by this invention.

Particularly desirable traits that may be incorporated by this inventionis improved resistance to different viral, fungal, and bacterialpathogens. Anthracnose and Phytophthora blight are fungal diseasesaffecting various species of pepper. Fruit lesions and fruit rot are thecommercially important aspects of these diseases. Bacterial leaf spotand bacterial wilt are other diseases affecting pepper plants,especially during the wet season. Viral pathogens affecting pepperplants include the pepper mosaic virus and the tobacco mosaic virus.

Improved resistance to insect pests is another desirable trait that maybe incorporated into new lines of pepper plants developed by thisinvention. Insect pests affecting the various species of pepper includethe European corn borer, corn earworm, aphids, flea beetles, whiteflies,and mites (Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers,2003).

D. Performance Characteristics

As described above, line SBR28-1244 exhibits desirable agronomic traits,including excellent fruit quality, including a uniform fruit shape andeasily coloring fruit; a set of small, blocky fruits that are green whenimmature and red when mature; resistance to PVY pathotype P0. These andother performance characteristics of the line were the subject of anobjective analysis of the performance traits of the line relative toother lines. The results of the analysis are presented below.

TABLE 2 Comparison of line SBR28-1244 and a selected varietyCharacteristic Variety SBR28-1244 Pepper Variety Goal Plant height 145cm 120 cm Fruit shape Quadrangular Circular Fruit length  90 mm  78 mmFruit diameter  75 mm  85 mm Fruit weight 178 g 197 g Fruit color whenimmature Light green Medium green (RHS N134B) (RHS N134A) Fruit glossDull Moderately glossy PVY-PO resistance Resistant Resistant TobamovirusP1.2.3 Susceptible Susceptible resistance Leaf color Light green Mediumgreen (RHS 135B) (RHA 136B) Leaf margin undulation Weak Very weak

E. Further Embodiments of the Invention

In particular embodiments, the invention provides plants of pepper lineSBR28-1244 modified to include at least a first desired heritable trait.Such plants may, in one embodiment, be developed by a plant breedingtechnique called backcrossing, wherein essentially all of the desiredmorphological and physiological characteristics of a variety arerecovered in addition to a genetic locus transferred into the plant viathe backcrossing technique. The term single locus converted plant asused herein refers to those pepper plants which are developed by a plantbreeding technique called backcrossing, wherein essentially all of thedesired morphological and physiological characteristics of a variety arerecovered in addition to the single locus transferred into the varietyvia the backcrossing technique.

Backcrossing methods can be used with the present invention to improveor introduce a characteristic into the present variety. The parentalpepper plant which contributes the locus for the desired characteristicis termed the nonrecurrent or donor parent. This terminology refers tothe fact that the nonrecurrent parent is used one time in the backcrossprotocol and therefore does not recur. The parental pepper plant towhich the locus or loci from the nonrecurrent parent are transferred isknown as the recurrent parent as it is used for several rounds in thebackcrossing protocol.

In a typical backcross protocol, the original variety of interest(recurrent parent) is crossed to a second variety (nonrecurrent parent)that carries the single locus of interest to be transferred. Theresulting progeny from this cross are then crossed again to therecurrent parent and the process is repeated until a pepper plant isobtained wherein essentially all of the desired morphological andphysiological characteristics of the recurrent parent are recovered inthe converted plant, in addition to the single transferred locus fromthe nonrecurrent parent.

The selection of a suitable recurrent parent is an important step for asuccessful backcrossing procedure. The goal of a backcross protocol isto alter or substitute a single trait or characteristic in the originalvariety. To accomplish this, a single locus of the recurrent variety ismodified or substituted with the desired locus from the nonrecurrentparent, while retaining essentially all of the rest of the desiredgenetic, and therefore the desired physiological and morphologicalconstitution of the original variety. The choice of the particularnonrecurrent parent will depend on the purpose of the backcross; one ofthe major purposes is to add some commercially desirable trait to theplant. The exact backcrossing protocol will depend on the characteristicor trait being altered and the genetic distance between the recurrentand nonrecurrent parents. Although backcrossing methods are simplifiedwhen the characteristic being transferred is a dominant allele, arecessive allele, or an additive allele (between recessive anddominant), may also be transferred. In this instance it may be necessaryto introduce a test of the progeny to determine if the desiredcharacteristic has been successfully transferred.

In one embodiment, progeny pepper plants of a backcross in whichSBR28-1244 is the recurrent parent comprise (i) the desired trait fromthe non-recurrent parent and (ii) all of the physiological andmorphological characteristics of pepper line SBR28-1244 as determined atthe 5% significance level when grown in the same environmentalconditions.

Pepper varieties can also be developed from more than two parents. Thetechnique, known as modified backcrossing, uses different recurrentparents during the backcrossing. Modified backcrossing may be used toreplace the original recurrent parent with a variety having certain moredesirable characteristics or multiple parents may be used to obtaindifferent desirable characteristics from each.

Many single locus traits have been identified that are not regularlyselected for in the development of a new inbred but that can be improvedby backcrossing techniques. Single locus traits may or may not betransgenic; examples of these traits include, but are not limited to,male sterility, herbicide resistance, resistance to bacterial, fungal,or viral disease, insect resistance, restoration of male fertility,modified fatty acid or carbohydrate metabolism, and enhanced nutritionalquality. These comprise genes generally inherited through the nucleus.

Direct selection may be applied where the single locus acts as adominant trait. An example of a dominant trait is the downy mildewresistance trait. For this selection process, the progeny of the initialcross are sprayed with downy mildew spores prior to the backcrossing.The spraying eliminates any plants which do not have the desired downymildew resistance characteristic, and only those plants which have thedowny mildew resistance gene are used in the subsequent backcross. Thisprocess is then repeated for all additional backcross generations.

Selection of pepper plants for breeding is not necessarily dependent onthe phenotype of a plant and instead can be based on geneticinvestigations. For example, one can utilize a suitable genetic markerwhich is closely genetically linked to a trait of interest. One of thesemarkers can be used to identify the presence or absence of a trait inthe offspring of a particular cross, and can be used in selection ofprogeny for continued breeding. This technique is commonly referred toas marker assisted selection. Any other type of genetic marker or otherassay which is able to identify the relative presence or absence of atrait of interest in a plant can also be useful for breeding purposes.Procedures for marker assisted selection applicable to the breeding ofpepper are well known in the art. Such methods will be of particularutility in the case of recessive traits and variable phenotypes, orwhere conventional assays may be more expensive, time consuming orotherwise disadvantageous. Types of genetic markers which could be usedin accordance with the invention include, but are not necessarilylimited to, Simple Sequence Length Polymorphisms (SSLPs) (Williams etal., 1990), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs), DNAAmplification Fingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized AmplifiedRegions (SCARs), Arbitrary Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR),Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858,specifically incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), andSingle Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) (Wang et al., 1998).

F. Plants Derived from Pepper Line SBR28-1244 by Genetic Engineering

Many useful traits that can be introduced by backcrossing, as well asdirectly into a plant, are those which are introduced by genetictransformation techniques. Genetic transformation may therefore be usedto insert a selected transgene into the pepper line of the invention ormay, alternatively, be used for the preparation of transgenes which canbe introduced by backcrossing. Methods for the transformation of plants,including pepper plants, are well known to those of skill in the art(see, e.g., below). Techniques which may be employed for the genetictransformation of pepper plants include, but are not limited to,electroporation, microprojectile bombardment, Agrobacterium-mediatedtransformation and direct DNA uptake by protoplasts.

To effect transformation by electroporation, one may employ eitherfriable tissues, such as a suspension culture of cells or embryogeniccallus or alternatively one may transform immature embryos or otherorganized tissue directly. In this technique, one would partiallydegrade the cell walls of the chosen cells by exposing them topectin-degrading enzymes (pectolyases) or mechanically wound tissues ina controlled manner.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of pepper explant material andregeneration of whole transformed pepper plants (including tetraploids)from the transformed shoots has been shown to be an efficienttransformation method (U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,316).

A particularly efficient method for delivering transforming DNA segmentsto plant cells is microprojectile bombardment. In this method, particlesare coated with nucleic acids and delivered into cells by a propellingforce. Exemplary particles include those comprised of tungsten,platinum, and preferably, gold. For the bombardment, cells in suspensionare concentrated on filters or solid culture medium. Alternatively,immature embryos or other target cells may be arranged on solid culturemedium. The cells to be bombarded are positioned at an appropriatedistance below the macroprojectile stopping plate.

An illustrative embodiment of a method for delivering DNA into plantcells by acceleration is the Biolistics Particle Delivery System, whichcan be used to propel particles coated with DNA or cells through ascreen, such as a stainless steel or Nytex screen, onto a surfacecovered with target pepper cells. The screen disperses the particles sothat they are not delivered to the recipient cells in large aggregates.It is believed that a screen intervening between the projectileapparatus and the cells to be bombarded reduces the size of projectilesaggregate and may contribute to a higher frequency of transformation byreducing the damage inflicted on the recipient cells by projectiles thatare too large.

Microprojectile bombardment techniques are widely applicable, and may beused to transform virtually any plant species.

Agrobacterium-mediated transfer is another widely applicable system forintroducing gene loci into plant cells. An advantage of the technique isthat DNA can be introduced into whole plant tissues, thereby bypassingthe need for regeneration of an intact plant from a protoplast. ModernAgrobacterium transformation vectors are capable of replication in E.coli as well as Agrobacterium, allowing for convenient manipulations(Klee et al., 1985). Moreover, recent technological advances in vectorsfor Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer have improved the arrangementof genes and restriction sites in the vectors to facilitate theconstruction of vectors capable of expressing various polypeptide codinggenes. The vectors described have convenient multi-linker regionsflanked by a promoter and a polyadenylation site for direct expressionof inserted polypeptide coding genes. Additionally, Agrobacteriumcontaining both armed and disarmed Ti genes can be used fortransformation.

In those plant strains where Agrobacterium-mediated transformation isefficient, it is the method of choice because of the facile and definednature of the gene locus transfer. The use of Agrobacterium-mediatedplant integrating vectors to introduce DNA into plant cells is wellknown in the art (Fraley et al., 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,055).

Transformation of plant protoplasts also can be achieved using methodsbased on calcium phosphate precipitation, polyethylene glycol treatment,electroporation, and combinations of these treatments (see, e.g.,Potrykus et al., 1985; Omirulleh et al., 1993; Fromm et al., 1986;Uchimiya et al., 1986; Marcotte et al., 1988). Transformation of plantsand expression of foreign genetic elements is exemplified in Choi et al.(1994), and Ellul et al. (2003).

A number of promoters have utility for plant gene expression for anygene of interest including but not limited to selectable markers,scoreable markers, genes for pest tolerance, disease resistance,nutritional enhancements and any other gene of agronomic interest.Examples of constitutive promoters useful for pepper plant geneexpression include, but are not limited to, the cauliflower mosaic virus(CaMV) P-35S promoter, which confers constitutive, high-level expressionin most plant tissues (see, e.g., Odel et al., 1985), including monocots(see, e.g., Dekeyser et al., 1990; Terada and Shimamoto, 1990); atandemly duplicated version of the CaMV 35S promoter, the enhanced 35Spromoter (P-e35S) the nopaline synthase promoter (An et al., 1988), theoctopine synthase promoter (Fromm et al., 1989); and the figwort mosaicvirus (P-FMV) promoter as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,619 and anenhanced version of the FMV promoter (P-eFMV) where the promotersequence of P-FMV is duplicated in tandem, the cauliflower mosaic virus19S promoter, a sugarcane bacilliform virus promoter, a commelina yellowmottle virus promoter, and other plant DNA virus promoters known toexpress in plant cells.

A variety of plant gene promoters that are regulated in response toenvironmental, hormonal, chemical, and/or developmental signals can beused for expression of an operably linked gene in plant cells, includingpromoters regulated by (1) heat (Callis et al., 1988), (2) light (e.g.,pea rbcS-3A promoter, Kuhlemeier et al., 1989; maize rbcS promoter,Schaffner and Sheen, 1991; or chlorophyll a/b-binding protein promoter,Simpson et al., 1985), (3) hormones, such as abscisic acid (Marcotte etal., 1989), (4) wounding (e.g., wunl, Siebertz et al., 1989); or (5)chemicals such as methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, or Safener. It mayalso be advantageous to employ organ-specific promoters (e.g., Roshal etal., 1987; Schernthaner et al., 1988; Bustos et al., 1989).

Exemplary nucleic acids which may be introduced to the pepper lines ofthis invention include, for example, DNA sequences or genes from anotherspecies, or even genes or sequences which originate with or are presentin the same species, but are incorporated into recipient cells bygenetic engineering methods rather than classical reproduction orbreeding techniques. However, the term “exogenous” is also intended torefer to genes that are not normally present in the cell beingtransformed, or perhaps simply not present in the form, structure, etc.,as found in the transforming DNA segment or gene, or genes which arenormally present and that one desires to express in a manner thatdiffers from the natural expression pattern, e.g., to over-express.Thus, the term “exogenous” gene or DNA is intended to refer to any geneor DNA segment that is introduced into a recipient cell, regardless ofwhether a similar gene may already be present in such a cell. The typeof DNA included in the exogenous DNA can include DNA which is alreadypresent in the plant cell, DNA from another plant, DNA from a differentorganism, or a DNA generated externally, such as a DNA sequencecontaining an antisense message of a gene, or a DNA sequence encoding asynthetic or modified version of a gene.

Many hundreds if not thousands of different genes are known and couldpotentially be introduced into a pepper plant according to theinvention. Non-limiting examples of particular genes and correspondingphenotypes one may choose to introduce into a pepper plant include oneor more genes for insect tolerance, such as a Bacillus thuringiensis(B.t.) gene, pest tolerance such as genes for fungal disease control,herbicide tolerance such as genes conferring glyphosate tolerance, andgenes for quality improvements such as yield, nutritional enhancements,environmental or stress tolerances, or any desirable changes in plantphysiology, growth, development, morphology or plant product(s). Forexample, structural genes would include any gene that confers insecttolerance including but not limited to a Bacillus insect control proteingene as described in WO 99/31248, herein incorporated by reference inits entirety, U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,052, herein incorporated by referencein its entirety, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,500,365 and 5,880,275, hereinincorporated by reference it their entirety. In another embodiment, thestructural gene can confer tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate asconferred by genes including, but not limited to Agrobacterium strainCP4 glyphosate resistant EPSPS gene (aroA:CP4) as described in U.S. Pat.No. 5,633,435, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, orglyphosate oxidoreductase gene (GOX) as described in U.S. Pat. No.5,463,175, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Alternatively, the DNA coding sequences can affect these phenotypes byencoding a non-translatable RNA molecule that causes the targetedinhibition of expression of an endogenous gene, for example viaantisense- or cosuppression-mediated mechanisms (see, for example, Birdet al., 1991). The RNA could also be a catalytic RNA molecule (i.e., aribozyme) engineered to cleave a desired endogenous mRNA product (seefor example, Gibson and Shillito, 1997). Thus, any gene which produces aprotein or mRNA which expresses a phenotype or morphology change ofinterest is useful for the practice of the present invention.

G. Definitions

In the description and tables herein, a number of terms are used. Inorder to provide a clear and consistent understanding of thespecification and claims, the following definitions are provided:

Allele: Any of one or more alternative forms of a gene locus, all ofwhich alleles relate to one trait or characteristic. In a diploid cellor organism, the two alleles of a given gene occupy corresponding locion a pair of homologous chromosomes.

Backcrossing: A process in which a breeder repeatedly crosses hybridprogeny, for example a first generation hybrid (F₁), back to one of theparents of the hybrid progeny. Backcrossing can be used to introduce oneor more single locus conversions from one genetic background intoanother.

Crossing: The mating of two parent plants.

Cross-pollination: Fertilization by the union of two gametes fromdifferent plants.

Diploid: A cell or organism having two sets of chromosomes.

Emasculate: The removal of plant male sex organs or the inactivation ofthe organs with a cytoplasmic or nuclear genetic factor conferring malesterility or a chemical agent.

Enzymes: Molecules which can act as catalysts in biological reactions.

F₁ Hybrid: The first generation progeny of the cross of two nonisogenicplants.

Genotype: The genetic constitution of a cell or organism.

Haploid: A cell or organism having one set of the two sets ofchromosomes in a diploid.

Linkage: A phenomenon wherein alleles on the same chromosome tend tosegregate together more often than expected by chance if theirtransmission was independent.

Marker: A readily detectable phenotype, preferably inherited incodominant fashion (both alleles at a locus in a diploid heterozygoteare readily detectable), with no environmental variance component, i.e.,heritability of 1.

Phenotype: The detectable characteristics of a cell or organism, whichcharacteristics are the manifestation of gene expression.

Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL): Quantitative trait loci (QTL) refer togenetic loci that control to some degree numerically representabletraits that are usually continuously distributed.

Resistance: As used herein, the terms “resistance” and “tolerance” areused interchangeably to describe plants that show no symptoms to aspecified biotic pest, pathogen, abiotic influence or environmentalcondition. These terms are also used to describe plants showing somesymptoms but that are still able to produce marketable product with anacceptable yield. Some plants that are referred to as resistant ortolerant are only so in the sense that they may still produce a crop,even though the plants are stunted and the yield is reduced.

Regeneration: The development of a plant from tissue culture.

Self-pollination: The transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigmaof the same plant.

Single Locus Converted (Conversion) Plant: Plants which are developed bya plant breeding technique called backcrossing, wherein essentially allof the desired morphological and physiological characteristics of apepper variety are recovered in addition to the characteristics of thesingle locus transferred into the variety via the backcrossing techniqueand/or by genetic transformation.

Substantially Equivalent: A characteristic that, when compared, does notshow a statistically significant difference (e.g., p=0.05) from themean.

Tissue Culture: A composition comprising isolated cells of the same or adifferent type or a collection of such cells organized into parts of aplant.

Transgene: A genetic locus comprising a sequence which has beenintroduced into the genome of a pepper plant by transformation.

H. Deposit Information

A deposit of pepper line SBR28-1244, disclosed above and recited in theclaims, has been made with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC),10801 University Blvd., Manassas, Va. 20110-2209. The date of depositwas Jul. 9, 2008. The accession number for those deposited seeds ofpepper line SBR28-1244 is ATCC Accession No. PTA-9352. Upon issuance ofa patent, all restrictions upon the deposit will be removed, and thedeposit is intended to meet all of the requirements of 37 C.F.R.§1.801-1.809. The deposit will be maintained in the depository for aperiod of 30 years, or 5 years after the last request, or for theeffective life of the patent, whichever is longer, and will be replacedif necessary during that period.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail byway of illustration and example for purposes of clarity andunderstanding, it will be obvious that certain changes and modificationsmay be practiced within the scope of the invention, as limited only bythe scope of the appended claims.

All references cited herein are hereby expressly incorporated herein byreference.

REFERENCES

The following references, to the extent that they provide exemplaryprocedural or other details supplementary to those set forth herein, arespecifically incorporated herein by reference:

-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,316-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,619-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,175-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,365-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,055-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,435-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,052-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,275-   U.S. Pat. No. 7,087,819-   An et al., Plant Physiol., 88:547, 1988.-   Berke, J. New Seeds, 1:3-4, 1999.-   Bird et al., Biotech. Gen. Engin. Rev., 9:207, 1991.-   Bustos et al., Plant Cell, 1:839, 1989.-   Callis et al., Plant Physiol., 88:965, 1988.-   Chae et al., Capsicum Eggplant Newsltr., 22:121-124, 2003.-   Choi et al., Plant Cell Rep., 13: 344-348, 1994.-   Dekeyser et al., Plant Cell, 2:591, 1990.-   Ellul et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 107:462-469, 2003.-   EP 534 858-   Fraley et al., Bio/Technology, 3:629-635, 1985.-   Fromm et al., Nature, 312:791-793, 1986.-   Fromm et al., Plant Cell, 1:977, 1989.-   Gibson and Shillito, Mol. Biotech., 7:125, 1997-   Klee et al., Bio-Technology, 3(7):637-642, 1985.-   Kuhlemeier et al., Plant Cell, 1:471, 1989.-   Marcotte et al., Nature, 335:454, 1988.-   Marcotte et al., Plant Cell, 1:969, 1989.-   Midwest Veg. Prod. Guide for Commercial Growers (ID:56), 2003-   Odel et al., Nature, 313:810, 1985.-   Omirulleh et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 21(3):415-428, 1993.-   Pandal et al., Theor. Appl. Gene., 68(6):567-577, 1984.-   Pickersgill and Barbara, Euphytica, 96(1):129-133, 1997-   Potrykus et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 199:183-188, 1985.-   Roshal et al., EMBO J., 6:1155, 1987.-   Schaffner and Sheen, Plant Cell, 3:997, 1991.-   Schemthaner et al., EMBO J., 7:1249, 1988.-   Siebertz et al., Plant Cell, 1:961, 1989.-   Simpson et al., EMBO J., 4:2723, 1985.-   Terada and Shimamoto, Mol. Gen. Genet., 220:389, 1990.-   Uchimiya et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 204:204, 1986.-   Wang et al., Science, 280:1077-1082, 1998.-   Williams et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 1 8:6531-6535, 1990.-   PCT Appln. No. WO 99/31248

1. A seed of pepper line SBR28-1244, a sample of seed of said linehaving been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-9352.
 2. A plantgrown from the seed of claim
 1. 3. A plant part of the plant of claim 2.4. The plant part of claim 3, wherein said part is selected from thegroup consisting of a fruit, pollen, rootstock, scion, an ovule and acell.
 5. A pepper plant, or a part thereof, having all the physiologicaland morphological characteristics of the pepper plant of claim
 2. 6. Atissue culture of regenerable cells of pepper line SBR28-1244, a sampleof seed of said line having been deposited under ATCC Accession NumberPTA-9352.
 7. The tissue culture according to claim 6, comprising cellsor protoplasts from a plant part selected from the group consisting ofembryos, meristems, cotyledons, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, roottips, pistil, flower, seed and stalks.
 8. A pepper plant regeneratedfrom the tissue culture of claim 6, wherein the regenerated plantexpresses all of the physiological and morphological characteristics ofpepper line SBR28-1244, a sample of seed of said line having beendeposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-9352.
 9. A method of producingpepper seed, comprising crossing the plant of claim 2 with itself or asecond pepper plant.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plant ofpepper line SBR28-1244 is the female parent.
 11. An F1 hybrid seedproduced by the method of claim 9, wherein the pepper plant of lineSBR28-1244 is crossed with a distinct second pepper plant.
 12. An F1hybrid plant produced by growing the seed of claim
 11. 13. A method forproducing a seed of a line SBR28-1244-derived pepper plant comprisingthe steps of: (a) crossing a pepper plant of line SBR28-1244, a sampleof seed of said line having been deposited under ATCC Accession NumberPTA-9352, with a second pepper plant; and (b) allowing seed of aSBR28-1244-derived pepper plant to form.
 14. The method of claim 13,further comprising the steps of: (c) crossing a plant grown from saidSBR28-1244-derived pepper seed with itself or a second pepper plant toyield additional SBR28-1244-derived pepper seed; (d) growing saidadditional SBR28-1244-derived pepper seed of step (c) to yieldadditional SBR28-1244-derived pepper plants; and (e) repeating thecrossing and growing steps of (c) and (d) to generate furtherSBR28-1244-derived pepper plants.
 15. A method of vegetativelypropagating a plant of pepper line SBR28-1244 comprising the steps of:(a) collecting tissue capable of being propagated from a plant of pepperline SBR28-1244, a sample of seed of said line having been depositedunder ATCC Accession Number PTA-9352; (b) cultivating said tissue toobtain proliferated shoots; and (c) rooting said proliferated shoots toobtain rooted plantlets.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprisinggrowing plants from said rooted plantlets.
 17. A method of introducing adesired trait into pepper line SBR28-1244 comprising: (a) crossing aplant of line SBR28-1244, a sample of seed of said line having beendeposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-9352, with a second pepperplant that comprises a desired trait to produce F1 progeny; (b)selecting an F1 progeny that comprises the desired trait; (c) crossingthe selected F1 progeny with a plant of line SBR28-1244, a sample ofseed of said line having been deposited under ATCC Accession NumberPTA-9352, to produce backcross progeny; (d) selecting backcross progenycomprising the desired trait and the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristic of pepper line SBR28-1244; and (e) repeating steps (c)and (d) three or more times in succession to produce selected fourth orhigher backcross progeny that comprise the desired trait.
 18. A pepperplant produced by the method of claim
 17. 19. A method of producing aplant of pepper line SBR28-1244, a sample of seed of said line havingbeen deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-9352, comprising an addeddesired trait, the method comprising introducing a transgene conferringthe desired trait into a plant of pepper line SBR28-1244.
 20. A progenyplant of the plant of claim 2, which progeny comprises all of thephysiological and morphological characteristics of pepper lineSBR28-1244, a sample of seed of said line having been deposited underATCC Accession Number PTA-9352.
 21. A seed that produces the plant ofclaim
 20. 22. A method of determining the genotype of the plant of claim2, comprising obtaining a sample of nucleic acids from said plant anddetecting in said nucleic acids a plurality of polymorphisms.
 23. Themethod of claim 22, further comprising the step of storing the resultsof the step of detecting the plurality of polymorphisms on a computerreadable medium.
 24. A method of producing peppers comprising: (a)obtaining the plant of claim 2, wherein the plant has been cultivated tomaturity; and (b) collecting peppers from the plant.